[Closed] No FENSA certificate for recently installed windows - problem?

Standard response is usually that you can get inexpensive indemnity insurance that you pay for on behalf of the prospective future owners, and that solicitors who do conveyancing know all about it.

I have not done this myself, however.

Nah, you just buy a small indemnity insurance when you sell easy sorted.

A FENSA certificate exempts you from needing a Building Regulations Completion Certificate. If your supplier isn't FENSA registered you can still get the windows inspected by Building Control. I don't see any reason why it can't be done retrospectively. Call your local council Building Control and ask them (but don't say who you are, just in case!)

The only people who seem to care are conveyancing solicitors, who also do a good sideline in indemnity policies as well...

Fensa is a pointless set up IMO. We had a bad experience with a window installation. Fensa didn't want to know, said seek building regs guidance. Building regs were not interested as they were replacement windows. We were told the best method was to bad mouth the said company on social media!

What jam bo said.

I had this with a conservatory and windows in my Mum's recent bungalow purchase. £17 indemnity policy sorted the blood sucking leeches solicitors.

Had this recently when selling a recently refurbished house. As far as I remember buyers solicitor was not happy with indemnity police so had to get building control round to sign of the windows installation. Building control charged £250 for 5 minutes work!

after doing up my grans old house to sell we had a hell of a job convincing the buyers solicitor that we didn't need a fensa certificate as building control had signed of all the work we had done.
its not woth the paper its written on anyway, as i'm doing up my house i bought a couple of years ago i'm replacing the windows, they have a fensa certificate but i've never seen windows fitted as badly before, get a howling gale coming round most of them when its windy. the replacements are being fitted by someone who i know and does a good job which is more important to me than a bit of paper.

Fitted all my own windows. french doors and front door and they haven't fallen out yet nor are they draughty, plus they dont have the massive trim pieces around the edges like the ones that Safestyle fitted on my parents property which are now hanging off and letting draughts through as they seriously undersize the windows to make them easier to fit.

Just seems like another moneymaking scheme and has no bearing on the quality of the install.

Random indemnity policies seem to be a normal cost of house moving these days. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Thanks for the help. As I said, the windows were installed very very well, hardly any trim pieces which was amazing to say that the old windows were in such a state when removed.
I won’t worry about it.

Personally, if I was buying a place and the solicitor came back saying a worthless certificate was missing, I'd just ignore it.

To be honest the whole system is a joke whether it be FENSA or CERTASS, none of the inspections regard quality of install or survey they are only concerned that the window conforms to Document 'L', I am in the trade and I wouldn't have the first idea where to get a window that didn't comply with Doc L. They only inspect 1% of a company's work so that could be once a year in
some cases.
'Unovolo' I can assure that a window too small is not easy to fit, it just ensure's less 'miss'measure's, so you can get any ole Tom Dick or Harry to measure them and pay them bugger all to do it. A snug fitting window with no trims is the ideal but seeing as installer wages haven't increased at all for the last TEN years us skilled tradesmen (and it should be classed as a trade) are getting out into other things. I feel sorry for future customers as there is no proper apprenticeship and believe you me (I've seen it with my own peepers) an unskilled 'installer can do a serious damage to your little abode. If you've Not watched White Gold do so now it really happens and a follow up series on the fitting would be even better.

The guy who I worked for was never Fensa registered but fully trained. It made naff all difference to how windows were replaced. Only had 1 issue in the 1 year I worked for him from a government worker who kicked up a fuss. It apparently added about £60 to every job being registered. FWIW non off my windows or conservatory are certificated and I aren't loosing any sleep over it. Might do when selling.

It’s utter nonsense really. My pal works for a fensa registered company, fits extremely expensive windows for very wealthy customers all week and never gets anything but praise for his work yet if he orders and fits a window for me at the weekend he can’t get a certificate as it’s not through the company so is classed as dodgy.

Is there an age limit on windows needing this certificate ? We sold last year, had no certs for the windows. They had been in for 20 years or so. I remember a question on the sellers information document, regarding the age of the windows, I just ticked “Don’t know” as I didn’t know how old they were.

Yeah 20 years is way too old regs didn't come in till 2002. Its a wealth creation scheme for MP's and friends, we'll bring in the regs and you start up a business checking them mate. It gets even better with tiled a conservatory roof JHAI charge customer £500 then when I ask when they are coming to inspect they say they cant get to us at the moment so can I take some pictures and send them in!! and they didn't even offer me any commission!!!!!